What are the different categories of metrics useful for managing technology-related projects? Who should be involved in the development of metrics within an organization? How should sources of data (i

Organizational Performance Metrics
________________________________________
What are the different categories of metrics useful for managing technology-related projects?

The key categories of metrics useful for managing technology based projects are:

• Product/Technology Performance
o Efficiency
o Responsiveness
o Flexibility
• People Performance
o Control over the project
o Learning acquired during the project
• People Performance
o Attrition
o Quality of Interactions with team
o Quality of Interactions with customers

Who should be involved in the development of metrics within an organization?

The senior management in the organization should identify the key metrics for measuring the performance of the organization. Other stakeholders that should be involved are:

• Strategy Manager, who designs the goals of the organization in consensus with the senior management and has a holistic view of activities across the organization
• IT Manager. Who knows whether the data is available for all the metrics being defined for measuring the performance of the organization

How should sources of data (i.e. input to the metrics) be identified and verified?

• The data sources need to be identified in interaction with the IT team, who manage the databases of the organization
• Understand the data dictionary (list and definitions of variables) that exist in the databases
• Ensure that all the data sources are identified by interacting with different stakeholders primarily the IT team, who is responsible and accountable for maintenance of all the databases in the organization
• Understand the relationship between different tables in single database and also relationships between multiple databases
• Ensure that the data being uploaded on the database is verified through multiple methods:
o Talking to the IT team
o Interactions with people, who do some reporting out of the database currently
o Pulling a sample data from the database and cross-checking with business

How should resulting performance data be disseminated and utilized throughout the organization?

The performance data should be disseminated in the form of dashboard to the different stakeholders. The dashboards should be designed in a dynamic way so that using key filters, the user should be able to understand the performance of the organization across multiple parameters. For example: The sales of the organization should be provided by regions and different Business Units that exist in the organization. Thus, based on these two filters, the WW team, the regional heads and the heads of different Business Units can also understand their contribution with respect to sales.

Similarly, other metrics (other than sales) should also be taken into consideration so that different stakeholders can understand their performance at respective levels.

Another important factor to notice is that, dashboards should be prepared at different levels viz. Executive Level for the senior management, Business Unit specific for different Business Units and Operational Level for understanding operational efficiency of the organization.